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Norval Morrisseau Quotes:

-"My art speaks and will continue to speak, transcending barriers of nationality, language and other forces that may be divisive, fortifying the greatness of the spirit that has always been the foundation of the Ojibwa people."

Others about Norval Morrisseau:

Norval, with his incredible ability with the formal problems of art (colour-design-space) and his commitment to the world of his people, the great Ojibway, give one the sense of power that only genius provides... It is sufficient to say that in the history of Canadian Painting, few have, and will remain giants. Norval shall."

An impressive array of top Canadian fine art and forensic experts have hotly disputed that the Norval Morrisseau original painting “Wheel of Life 1979,” which is at the centre of an Ontario court case, is a forgery, as claimed by the plaintiff, retired school teacher, Ms. Margaret Hatfield, from Sarnia, Ontario.

The defendant is Ms. Donna Child of Artworld of Sherway (Toronto, Ontario) where Ms. Hatfield bought her painting.

Ms. Hatfield had only two witnesses appearing for her side.
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One was Mr. Ritchie Sinclair, an operator of a malicious and defamatory website that claims that over 1,000 Morrisseau paintings - 99% of which he has never seen in person - are forgeries.

In one of his web posts, of October 23th, 2008, Mr. Sinclair candidly admitted as much, saying he was posting the images only “for inspiration and enjoyment.”He stated further that, "With the exception of paintings that I witnessed painted or exhibited by Morrisseau I have no way of discerning whether the images shown here are all authentic Morrisseau originals." (click HERE). Note: Mr. Ritchie Sinclair did not just label genuine Morrisseau paintings as forgeries... he had also labeled genuine Norval Morrisseau limited edition prints as "Inferior Prints" (click HERE).Shortly afterwards, his short-lived Scollard Gallery exhibition closed, reportedly after only three days in the fall of 2008 – discerning art buyers and collectors simply do not want “Indian art,” like Sinclair was trying to paint, painted by “a white guy from Toronto,” which is who Sinclair was. When the Scollard closed permanently, shortly after, it published the names of many of the artists it had been “proud to represent.” Ritchie Sinclair is not among them.Mr. Sinclair went ballistic, repeatedly physically harassing a neighbouring art dealer, 82-year-old Mr. Joseph McLeod, and accusing him of sabotaging his Scollard Gallery show. He shouted at McLeod that he would “bring down the whole Morrisseau market.” He persisted in his physical attacks till the police arrested him and charged him with “criminal harassment” (click HERE).

After being taken into custody and arrested by the police for "criminal harrasment" Mr. Ritchie Sinclair had totally reversed his earlier “sunny” stance, claiming from then on, through some divine intervention he has not shared with the world, that all the paintings he previously published, and once loved unreservedly, were now miraculously ALL transformed into Morrisseau forgeries.

In the midst of this, in the fall of 2008, he launched his malicious and defamatory website, and declared his discovery of 1,000 Morrisseau forgeries being sold by leading art galleries across Canada.

He then maliciously attacked, not only the paintings themselves but defamed their owners as well, posting every vile name he could dredge up from the dictionary, right alongside the names of the decent people and businesses who owned them (click HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE,HERE, HERE, HERE & HERE).For years he carried out an internet campaign to vilify Morrisseau collectors, owners, and dealers, and denounced them as purveyors of Morrisseau forgeries. His accusations were all based on gathering small, low resolution, internet jpegs, and even though he had once admitted, in a post he deleted years ago, “I have no way of discerning whether the images shown here are all authentic Morrisseau originals." (click HERE).

In 2011 Mr. Ritchie Sinclair somehow convinced the gullible retired school teacher, and neophyte art collector, Ms. Hatfield, that her painting “Wheel of Life 1979” was a forgery as well.

The other witness is a business associate of Mr. Sinclair, an art dealer, and direct business competitor of the defendant: Mr. Donald Robinson of Kinsman Robinson Galleries (Toronto, Ontario).

Much to the astonishment of the defense counsel and observers in the courtroom, he was allowed by Judge Paul Martial to testify with status as an "expert witness," in spite of arguments presented by the Defense counsel Mr. Robert Dowhan in 2011, and his successor, Mr. Brian Schiller in 2012, each suggesting, passionately, but “with respect,” that the decision ran counter to both the letter and the spirit of the law governing “expert witnesses.”The lawyer for the Defence, and Ms. Child, have made it abundantly clear that should the judgment go against them, and find against “Wheel of Life 1979,” as a genuine work by Norval Morrisseau, they will appeal the case to a higher court. And knowledgeable observers are certain that the appeal will be almost entirely based on the vetting of a passionate business competitor, Mr. Donald Robinson, as an “expert witness” and his contention that the painting (s) Artworld of Sherway is (are) selling, is (are) forgeries.

An "expert witness" is defined under the law as an impartial person with special training and knowledge that is relevant to the case. The law is very clear that expert witnesses are not allowed to have a financial stake of any kind or any personal business interests related to the outcome of a case in which they are testifying.

The counsel for the defense argued strongly to the judge that Mr. Robinson could not legally qualify as an expert witness, because he totally lacked academic qualifications in both art and forensics, and was, to boot, a business competitor of the defendant and not in any way capable of being impartial.

Yet Judge Martial agreed to the status of "expert witness” for this business competitor of the defendant.

Mr. Robinson agreed to testify for Ms. Margaret Hatfield, and even went so far as to write an “Expert Report” on why the Norval Morrisseau painting, which she had bought, was a forgery.

Two of the most astonishing things this "expert witness" was adamant about in court, was his claim that Norval Morrisseau never, ever, signed any painting on the back with large letters in black dry brush paint. And furthermore that he had never even heard of anyone who had seen him do it.On that basis alone, he said, "Wheel of Life 1979" is a forgery.

Both these astonishing claims would be proven false by countering affidavits and testimony of experts whose personal and business ties to Norval Morrisseau and his art go back many decades.

> The painting had also received a Certificate of Appraisal, as a genuine work by Norval Morrisseau, from Mr. Paul Bremner of Bremner Fine Art(Toronto, Ontario), who has some 30 years of experience as a fine art dealer.

> Ms. Donna Child of Artworld of Sherway, where Ms. Hatfield purchased “Wheel of Life 1979,” continues to stand 110% behind the authenticity of the painting as a genuine Morrisseau.

> “Wheel of Life 1979,” was also completely authenticated by Wolf Morrisseau, younger brother, and long-time business manager for Norval Morrisseau, who testified, under oath before Judge Paul Martial, first, that the painting was his brother’s, secondly, it was the style of painting Norval painted, thirdly, that the signature and writing on the back is exactly how he instructed Norval to sign his paintings when he lived with him at the time that work was painted, and fourthly, that the writing on the back was Norval’s.

> “Four of Norval Morrisseau’s children, directly targeting the sworn court testimony and claims of "expert witness" Mr. Donald Robinson, signed a Morrisseau Family Foundation affidavit testifying that it was “a lie” to say “that Norval Morrisseau never signed the back of his paintings using black acrylic paint.” They swore they had all seen him do it many times.> Mr. Marlow Goring, another old time, personal, and business associate of Norval Morrisseau, testified that in the early 1980s, when Norval contracted him to put his paintings on frames for an art exhibition in Ottawa, Ontario, he watched as Norval signed all the backs of the paintings with black dry brush paint in the same style as was on “Wheel of Life 1979”.

> On December16, 2011, Mr. Robert Scott, a long time fine art gallery owner of the Eagle Spirit Gallery [1] and Norval Morrisseau art dealer in Vancouver, BC, signed an affidavit swearing that he personally witnessed Norval Morrisseau signing the back of canvases after he painted them in his gallery, six times, in the period from 1990 to 1998.

Mr. Scott testified in his affidavit that he also sold many other paintings that he got from Norval Morrisseau directly, which were similarly signed on the back. In fact most of the paintings he sold, he testified, were signed, titled, and dated this way on the back, with black dry brush paint.

> Mr. Goyce Kakegamic, one of Canada’s leading, and most honoured, Aboriginal artists, was the brother-in-law of Norval Morrisseau, since 1957, and was directly involved in a partnership with him in an art retail business selling Norval’s paintings and limited edition prints in the1970s. They were both members of the exclusive art group known as 'Triple K Co-operative'.Mr. Kakegamic says he saw Norval Morrisseau paint many times, and has signed Authenticity Statements, declaring numerous “1970s style black dry brush titled, signed, and dated” works to be genuine works by Norval Morrisseau.

(Mr. Goyce Kakegamic is a retired Deputy Grand Chief of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation, earned a BA and received an Honourary Doctorate from Lakehead University.)

NOTES:For more information about Mr. Goyce Kakegamic and to view one of his Authenticity Statements for genuine Norval Morrisseau paintings signed with black dry brush paint click HERE.

Out of the Past... The Voice of the “Expert Witness”Ironically, the strongest proof that Norval Morrisseau painted countless “1970s style black dry brush signed, titled, and dated” paintings, comes from the very man, Donald Robinson, who swore, under oath in court, as an “expert witness,” that Norval “never ever did that," and that he had never heard of anyone who had even seen him do it.

In fact he was a strong underbidder on two such paintings, January 26th, 2000, at Randy Potter Auctions. He also told the winning bidder that the paintings are “very fine Morrisseaus,” and assured her that “They are real all right. Trust me! I’m the guy who wrote the book on Morrisseau.”

These two “1970s black dry brush signed, titled, and dated” paintings, which have since been published, continuously since 2000, on various educational web sites, are “Medicine Being from Sacred Fish Stomach 1976,” and “Shaman Envelopes Soma 1976.” Anyone surfing the internet with an interest in Morrisseau has seen them some time during their uninterrupted 12 year long exposure on the internet.

Certainly Norval Morrisseau, at some time during his last seven years of life, his business partners, and his lawyer, would have seen these two paintings during the years they were vigorously chasing down so-called “forgeries” on the internet and from one end of the country to the other. Given the huge, uninterrupted web presence of both these paintings, over many years, it would be preposterous to suppose otherwise.

But neither Norval Morrisseau, nor his business partners, nor his lawyers, ever sent the owners any affidavit of forgery on either painting, claiming that Norval never painted them, or never signed them.

Nor sent any cease and desist orders, accusing the owner that by publishing these paintings so prominently publicized and linked to Morrisseau, that they were maligning Norval, his work, or his legacy, and making a major mistake by calling them authentic instead of forgeries.

The inference is inescapable. If they were forgeries the owners would have been told by Norval Morrisseau and, or, Gabe Vadas, at exactly the same time, between 2001 and 2006, and in the same way, as other owners of similar paintings were informed that theirs were fakes, when Norval’s white business partners sent out numerous affidavits to owners all over Canada itemizing scores of paintings they had, as forged.

Clearly Norval Morrisseau considered these “1970s style black dry brush signed, titled, and dated” paintings to be his genuine works. They never appeared as forgeries on any affidavits he signed, or his business managers sent out.

There is more supporting proof, that these “1970s style black dry brush signed, titled, and dated” paintings were genuine, from another Morrisseau business partner, his Toronto dealer, Donald Robinson, who on Jan. 26, 2000, tried hard to buy these very two paintings for the Kinsman Robinson Gallery for resale to his high end clientele. He became the unhappy under bidder on both paintings at a Randy Potter auction.

At the time he was so eager to buy these paintings at this auction (October 1999 till March 2000), Donald Robinson was at the top of his game as a Morrisseau dealer and expert, as he told anyone within earshot at the auction hall.

He claimed he had been selling Morrisseaus for over 20 years. He claimed further, at the time, that he was the world’s top Morrisseau expert, having been his exclusive Canadian dealer for over ten years, and as he liked to tell people, to erase any possible doubt as to his fine art and Morrisseau expertise, “I wrote the book on Morrisseau” (Norval Morrisseau: Travels to the House of Invention, published in 1997.)

Far from calling “Medicine Being from Sacred Fish Stomach 1976,” and “Shaman Envelopes Soma 1976,” forgeries, Donald Robinson eagerly tried to buy these “1970s style black dry brush signed, titled, and dated” paintings for resale to clients of the Kinsman Robinson Galleries. And furthermore, far from going on to tell Norval Morrisseau that they were forgeries, or asking him to send an affidavit of forgery to the owners, which were sent to other Morrisseau owners, Mr. Donald Robinson left these two spectacular Morrisseau pieces untainted by charges of forgery by Norval, his business partners, or his lawyer.

This is fabulous corroborative proof, and acknowledgement, from them all, that indeed, Norval painted “1970s style black dry brush signed, titled, and dated” paintings. The provenance and life history of “Medicine Being from Sacred Fish Stomach 1976,” and “Shaman Envelopes Soma 1976” are incontrovertible proof that neither Norval Morrisseau nor his dealer Donald Robinson regarded them as forgeries, neither in 2000, when they first came to their attention, nor in the twelve years that followed.On December 19th, 2011 forensics and handwriting expert Mr. Kenneth J. Davies of 'Hawkeye Studios (Grapho-Lab® Services)' (Calgary, Alberta) forensically certified that “Shaman Envelopes Soma, 1976” was an authentic work signed by the hand of Norval Morrisseau and no one else. click HERE to download this report.On April 18th, 2012 forensics and handwriting expert Mr. Kenneth J. Davies also forensically certified that “Medicine Being from Sacred Fish Stomach, 1976,” was an authentic work signed by the hand of Norval Morrisseau and no one else. Click HERE to download this report.Both these “1970s style black dry brush signed paintings” have now been called authentic by a Holy Trinity: the independent forensics handwriting expert, Ken Davies, as well as Donald Robinson, and Norval Morrisseau himself.

To confirm that Donald Robinson’s underbidding of these two “1970s style black dry brush signed, titled, and dated” paintings was not an aberration, but came from a strong personal conviction as the world’s top Morrisseau expert, public documents also show that Donald Robinson himself purchased, and sold a great many of these “1970s style black dry brush signed paintings” during the years 1999 till at least 2002.

In fact, he bid on some 90 such Morrisseau paintings at Randy Potter’s auction, bought 28 for $53,238.73, and never, ever, brought a single one back to Potter's as a forgery. Nor did he ever demand back a single dollar for a refund because he claimed to having been sold a single Morrisseau fake by Randy Potter. Not even once…

Donald Robinson is exactly like all the other 200 plus Morrisseau dealers and collectors who bought Morrisseau paintings at Randy Potter’s. Not a single one has ever brought back a single painting as a forgery or demanded his money back. That’s a customer satisfaction index of 100% on some two to three thousand painting sales transactions that would be hard to find anywhere else in the retail business.

Other staff members at the Kinsman Robinson Galleries were equally passionate about these “1970s style black dry brush signed paintings” from Randy Potter’s being genuine Morrisseaus. And they were willing to go on the record to authenticate them in writing.

On August 18, 1999, none other than Mr. Donald Robinson’s own son, Paul, certified two paintings of this exact type and origin, as genuine Morrisseaus on KRG stationary for a client, Mr. Matt Fountain, of Brooklin, Ontario, who had brought them into the Mr. Robinson’s gallery for validation after buying them from a Randy Potter auction

Kinsman Robinson Galleries Art Appraisal for Mr. Jonas Plis for art purchased at Kahn Country Auctions (Signed by Mr. Paul C. H. Robinson) - Dated October 30th, 2001/Click on image to enlarge/No one knows how many of Randy Potter's "1970s style black dry brush signed, titled, and dated" paintings that Kinsman Robinson Galleries authenticated or appraised; they clearly did it privately, for years. But we do know that as late as October 30, 2001, a full six months after Mr. Donald Robinson started calling hundreds of paintings coming from Randy Potter’s, ALL as forgeries (in a celebrated 'National Post' article "Morrisseau fakes alleged" of May 18, 2001), his own son Paul, privately certified two more paintings exactly like this, also from Potter's, and with black dry brush signatures on the back, as authentic Morrisseaus.Mr. Paul C. H. Robinson appraised them for a Kinsman Robinson Galleries' client, Jonas Plis as being worth $7,500 each. Each was noted as "signed and dated" and one as "faded," which was common with Norval Morrisseau's signatures which he did with "dry brush," a technique where Norval removed most of black paint from the brush before signing, titling, and dating the back of the paintings.The Proof Mounts 1:The capstone of proof of authenticity of these "black dry brush, signed, titled and dated" paintings like "Wheel of Life 1979” came from a top international forensics and handwriting expert, Dr. Atul K. Singla of Worldwide Forensic Services Inc. (Toronto, Ontario) who, after a long and detailed forensic examination of the “Questioned Signatures” on the back of the “Wheel of Life 1979” and ten other Norval Morrisseau paintings, concluded they were all signed by the artist himself.Dr. Singla is a senior Forensic Document Examiner and Fingerprint Expert with over 26 years of experience having examined thousands of cases and testified as an expert witness in over 500 court cases. NOTE:In forensic analysis numerous “Known Signatures” of a subject, from letters, documents, limited edition prints, are compared to “Questioned signatures” on the back of paintings to determine if there is a match. The forensic expert is given the actual paintings so he can take all the time he needs to make a minute and detailed study of the actual paint and canvas surface to compare the stroke and style patterns of letters, and words.

In his original analysis, Dr. Singla compared the Norval Morrisseau signature on the back of “Wheel of Life 1979” with nine other signatures known to be genuine ones by the artist, and concluded that they were done by the same hand.

Dr. Singla’s “Wheel of Life 1979” original Forensic Report and its supplements were entered as evidence in the Hatfield case as proof that the “Wheel of Life 1979” was a genuine Morrisseau original painting, signed on the back by the artist himself in black dry brush paint, and not a forgery as claimed by the plaintiff Margaret Hatfield.

The Proof Mounts 2: Over the next year and a half additional forensic evidence in paintings and signatures turned up, and was provided to Dr. Singla who reported that they only served to reinforce his original findings as stated in his original “Wheel of Life 1979” (Aug. 24, 2010) forensic report.

On May 27, 2011, Dr. Singla issued a supplement to reinforce his findings in his original “Wheel of Life 1979” forensic report, after he was able to compare the “Wheel of Life 1979” black dry brush paint signature to others on the back of two different 1970s paintings also similarly titled, signed, and dated: “Soaring Thunderbird 1979” and “Sacred Medicine Bear Changes 1979.”

This forensic evidence was also superb because the owner of these two paintings, Dieter Voss (Thunder Bay, Ontario) also provided a legally notarized affidavit stating that he had actually watched as Norval Morrisseau, in person, signed, titled, and dated, the back of the two subject paintings with a dry brush technique in black acrylic paint.

Dr. Singla was able to examine both paintings in person, at length, and in great detail.

This was especially powerful new forensic evidence because previous known signatures, used by forensic experts for comparison, had mostly been on letters, documents and limited edition prints.

Finding authenticated Norval Morrisseau signatures done on canvas in exactly the same way as on “Wheel of Life 1979” with a dry brush technique, offered the best possible base for forensic comparisons of “known” to “questioned” signatures.

Dieter Voss’ sworn testimony added to the affidavits and court testimony of others who had seen Norval write with a dry brush technique on the back of his canvases many times, during the 1970s and 1980s.

In his “Wheel of Life 1979” supplementary forensic report, on May 27, 2011, Dr. Singla wrote,

“Conclusion:Examination and comparison of the questioned and the known signatures as described in detail in the report and illustrative charts lead to the following conclusion:1. The questioned signatures Q1-Q11 and the known signatures K10 and K11 were written by one and the same person.”Dr. Singla conclusively proved that all eleven paintings, including the “Wheel of Life 1979,” were signed by Norval Morrisseau.

In the fall of 2011 Dr. Singla was able to examine, in person, additional paintings, and Certificates of Authenticity signed by Norval Morrisseau.To view Certificates of Authenticity click HERE,HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE & HERE. On December 21st, 2011 Dr. Singla issued another supplementary report after studying six more known signatures from the Certificates of Authenticity (COA) signed by the artist on April 11th, 2002 in Thunder Bay, Ontario. He was able to certify six more paintings as signed by Norval Morrisseau and reinforce even more his findings on the earlier “Wheel of Life 1979” forensic reports. To download Dr. Singla’s December 21st, 2011 forensic report CLICK HERE.

The Proof Mounts 3b: On Dec. 22, 2011 Dr. Singla added yet another supplementary finding to his original “Wheel of Life 1979” forensic report.

He added to his baseline of known Norval Morrisseau document signatures with another Certificate of Authenticity signed by Norval Morrisseau but for a different painting, a different owner, and on a different day.

Norval Morrisseau saw the painting “Your in the Fourth Dimension 1976” in Thunder Bay, Ontario, where he signed its Certificate of Authenticity on April 12, 2002.To see the Certificate of Authenticity for “Your in the Fourth Dimension 1976” click HERE.

This new known signature, brought to 18, the number of known signatures Dr. Singla used for reference. The new signature merely served to confirm Dr. Singla in his original “Wheel of Life 1979” forensic finding, as it being an original Morrisseau, and signed on the back in black dry brush paint by the artist.

And he further concluded that no one else could have been the author of the work, or its signature.

The Proof Mounts 4: There is actually a lengthy video taken during the week of April 5, 2002, that clearly shows Norval Morrisseau in the act of re-signing paintings and which occurred only a week before he issued Certificates of Authenticity for the paintings he had also inspected in person. The paintings are of the 1970s style, similar to “Wheel of Life 1979.”

NOTE:This "You Tube" presentation of Norval Morrisseau authenticating his artwork is part of a current "KIJIJI" ad for sale of the three Genuine Norval Morrisseau artworks which were painted and signed by the artist with a dry brush (DB) technique in 1970's. Click HERE to view this KIJIJI ad.

The video shows Norval Morrisseau handling paintings which all have the black dry brush writing on the back, before signing and thumb printing them.These paintings were certified authentic by Norval Morrisseau for art collector Mr. Ryan LeBlanc of Thunder Bay, Ontario (click HERE for additional information).

It is important to mention that these artworks were inspected by Norval Morrisseau and his family including his two sons Christian and Eugene prior to the video shooting of the authentication.

Also, this video clearly shows that the paintings being handled are old and cracked from poor storage over many years, adding the strongest proof that they cannot possibly be 1990's forgeries as contended by Mr. Sinclair and his associates.

The Proof Mounts 5 - Summary:Dr. Singla’s “Wheel of Life 1979” forensic report, and its supplements, which he produced for various clients, is based on handwriting analysis of multiple paintings, and Certificates of Authenticity coming from at least five different collectors and owners, none of whom, in 2002 - when Norval signed their COAs - knew each other.

The findings are supported by forensic reports from two other top international forensics and handwriting expert whose findings, for various clients, on a variety of other Norval Morrisseau paintings - over 50 to date - neatly dovetail into each other, and Dr. Singla’s “Wheel of Life 1979” forensic report.

Another Morrisseau “1970s style black dry brush signed, titled, and dated” painting which was fallaciously called a forgery by the media was “Father and Son, 1977”. Val Ross, the Globe arts reporter called it a fake. Michael Moniz, an art retailer sued CTV Globemedia Publishing for maliciously defaming his painting.This painting “Father and Son' 1977” came with professional appraisal work done by Mr. Joseph McLeod of Maslak Mcleod Gallery. Forensic work was separately conducted by Mr. Brian Lindblom of 'The Document Examination Consultants Inc.'who concluded that the signature in black dry brush paint on the reverse of the canvas was done by Norval Morrisseau.Click HERE to download Forensic Report by Mr. Brian Lindblom dated November 5th, 2008.IMPORTANT NOTE:“The Globe & Mail lawyers, seeing the forensic evidence behind “Father and Son 1977” arrayed against them, advised their client not to trust a penalty which a judge might impose, but to try to reach a financial settlement with Mr. Moniz, out of court. Clearly the Globe & Mail chose to offer an amount that Moniz accepted, as just compensation for the malicious and defamatory article written by its reporter about his wonderful Morrisseau painting, which was sold on eBay in January 2007 to a collector in Toronto,

The Globe & Mail slapped a “gag” order on Mr. Michael Moniz, to try to hide from the public that its arts reporter Val Ross, and its editors were guilty of publishing false, malicious, and defamatory information, about “Father and Son 1977,” a forensically verified painting by Norval Morrisseau.

But in spite of the “non-disclosure agreement,” insisted on by the Globe & Mail, and enforced on Mr. Moniz, it’s easy to figure out the possible amounts paid by the Globe & Mail to make this all just “go away.”Morrisseau art retailers have appraised paintings similar to “Father and Son 1977” as worth in the range of $25,000 to $30,000. Experienced observers of art litigation guess that compensation would have been in that range or higher, if Mr. Moniz also demanded that the Globe & Mail pay for his extensive legal fees as well.”For more on background information about this courtcase and Globe & Mail article by Val Ross clickHERE.

>>> Mr. Brian Lindblom was also employed by Mr. Joseph McLeod to evaluate signatures on a number of genuine Norval Morrisseau paintings, which were offered for sale at his Maslak McLeod Gallery in 2002. Click HERE to download Forensic Report by Mr. Brian Lindblom dated January 24th, 2002.

NOTE: Three of the paintings positively evaluated for Norval Morrisseau signature in Mr. Brian Lindblom's forensic report of January 24th, 2002 are currently available for purchase at Maslak McLeod Gallery (click HERE) and one had become a part of McMaster University Museum's "The Paul R. Macpherson Woodland Collection of Art" which is curated by Maslak McLeod Gallery (click HERE).

All these experts are unanimous in finding with forensic certainty that none of these paintings are forgeries. All these paintings are authentic works done by Norval Morrisseau and were signed, titled, and dated by him on the back, in black dry brush paint. These three independent forensic document examiners concluded that no one else could have done so.

Ms. Maggie Hatfield shows genuine Norval Morrisseau painting "Wheel of Life, 1979" in her Sarnia home on May 31, 2012.

BACKGROUND TO THE “Wheel of Life, 1979” COURT CASE:

Ms. Margaret Hatfield, a retired school teacher from Sarnia, Ontario, purchased the Norval Morrisseau painting “Wheel of Life 1979,” from the well-respected Artworld of Sherway Gallery (Toronto, Ontario) in February, 2005, after seeing it advertised on CBC during the “Life and Times" television broadcast "Norval Morrisseau: A Separate Reality”.

The “Wheel of Life 1979” original Morrisseau painting had come supplied with two Certificates of Appraisal from two respected, long-time Canadian fine art dealers, and Morrisseau experts, who independently, stated that the painting was a genuine Morrisseau.

Later, while surfing the internet, Ms. Hatfield came across a defamatory websitewww.morrisseaubuyersbeware.com(NOT ACTIVE ANYMORE) which was operated by Mr. Jonathan Browne, of Ottawa, Ontario.

NOTE:Mr. Jonathan Browne became infamous, among knowledgeable Norval Morrisseau collectors and art dealers, when he wrong-headedly, and fallaciously, labeled his magnificent genuine Norval Morrisseau painting “Grandfather Speaks of Great Ancestral Warrior 1977” a forgery. And published it as such all over the internet.

Mr. Sinclair is notorious for deliberately trying to destroy the value of over 1,000 Morrisseau paintings - 99% of which he has never even seen or examined in person - with his malicious and defamatory website which he launched in 2008, where he called them all 'Inferior Counterfeit Morrisseaus'.In fact the overwhelming majority of the paintings maligned by Mr. Sinclair were painted by Norval Morrisseau long before there was any association of the young Mr. Ritchie Sinclair with the artist. In fact he stated in court that when he was introduced to Norval (c 1980) he had never even heard of Norval Morrisseau, or been aware of, or even seen his art. (Norval’s brother Wolf testified in court that it was he who first introduced Mr. Sinclair to his brother who had sent him to Toronto to find a companion for him.)

During the “Wheel of Life 1979” trial, Mr. Ritchie Sinclair was forced to admit to Defence Counsel, Brian Schiller Ruby Shiller Chan Hasan Barristers that his claims to having professional qualifications in art were untrue. Mr. Sinclair alleges he attended a few months of a community college course, which he further admitted to not finishing. He also failed to provide proof of any kind of educational or professional certification to the court.

In spite of his total lack of academic credentials of any kind, on any level, Mr. Sinclair managed to convince Ms. Hatfield that her painting, “Wheel of Life 1979,” was a forgery, just like Mr. Jonathan Browne claimed about “Grandfather Speaks of Great Ancestral Warrior 1977,” and he published both of them as such on his defamatory website.Instead of discussing the authenticity of “Wheel of Life 1979,” with Morrisseau fine art experts (McLeod, Bremner) and forensic experts (Lindblom, Dr. Singla), Ms. Hatfield refused to consult with any of them, telling Judge Paul Martial, in a stern huff, that she had no interest in talking to them, dismissing them brusquely to the judge, by saying, she wasn’t interested because, “I already knew what they would say.”Instead, she decided to cast in her lot with two notoriously uninformed, defamatory website operators, and to believe unsubstantiated charges that they were making on their websites.

Both Mr. Ritchie Sinclair and Mr. Jonathan Browne have now been separately exposed by two different top international forensicand handwriting experts, as publishing defamatory falsehoods about the genuine Norval Morrisseau paintings, “Grandfather Speaks of Great Ancestral Warrior 1977” and “Wheel of Life 1979” as well as many other paintings.

In fact the very same Mr. Ritchie Sinclair and Mr. Donald Robinson, who both testified for Ms. Hatfield, had joined forces a year earlier, against Mr. Joseph Otavnik to publicly defame his painting “Jesuit Priest Brings Word 1974” as a forgery.And, like for Ms. Hatfield, Mr. Robinson produced an “Expert Report” purporting to prove “Jesuit Priest Brings Word 1974” a forgery that Norval would never have painted, and certainly did not sign on the back.In January 2011, the Honourable Justice D. Godfrey dismissed the case with no costs or penalties, stating that, because Mr. Otavnik, had not tried to sell the painting “Jesuit Priest Brings Word, 1974” he could not therefore rightfully demonstrate or claim, at this time, to have lost real value as a result of the Mr. Ritchie Sinclair defamation.Furthermore the judge said Mr. Otavnik had not yet sought independent forensic confirmation of the painting’s authenticity to submit to the court.

“Jesuit Priest Brings Word 1974” is now the third major Morrisseau painting that has been falsely defamed as a forgery, resulting in a court case, during which malicious and defamatory charge was exposed as entirely untrue, after the paintings were sent to an independent forensics expert for examination. In each case, the forensics expert confirmed that the painting was, indeed, an authentic painting by the artist.It is also the third time that charges of paintings being called forgeries, in court, by Mr. Ritchie Sinclair and his business associates, are clearly shown to be malicious, defamatory, falsely manufactured, and completely untrue.It is now the second time, that Mr. Robinson's “Expert Report” filed with a court has been exposed, this time by another independent top international forensicand handwriting expert.As of October 2012, there are now over 52 forensically verified Norval Morrisseau paintings that were dismissed as forgeries by Mr. Ritchie Sinclair and his business associates that have been sent to a variety of forensics experts for examination. In every single case, the malicious and defamatory claims have been soundly overturned by three different, top level, independent Canadian, internationally recognized forensics experts, who have ruled the paintings are, in fact, genuine Morrisseaus.

-------------------------------Clearly, as a result of coaching, by Mr. Ritchie Sinclair and his business associates, Ms. Hatfield contacted Ms. Donna Child, Director of Artworld of Sherway, and demanded that Ms. Child not only refund the purchase price, but issue a document to certify that the painting she had purchased was a forgery.Ms. Child stood by the validity of the painting and the testimony and reputations of the numerous experts standing behind it as authentic.Ms. Child agreed to buy back the painting from the clearly disgruntled Ms. Hatfield - no one likes unhappy customers - but absolutely refused to declare the painting a forgery as the former school teacher demanded.Ms. Hatfield, urged on by Mr. Ritchie Sinclair and his associates, then filed suit against Artworld of Sherway, in Ontario Small Claims Court. (Court File No. SC-09-087264-0000).The trial has gone on for five full court days over the last year and a half, with testimony from a large number of witnesses.Judge Paul Martial was to announce his decision on Sep. 25, 2012. However, a few days before, he announced that he needed more time to reach his decision.

These prints come with 'Certificates of Authenticity' signed by the official seal of The Morrisseau Family Foundation, now part of The Norval Morrisseau Estate*.They were were offered for purchase by Mr. Paul Bremner of Bremner Fine Art (click HERE). A Certificate of Appraisal for genuine Norval Morrisseau painting featured in this post "Wheel of Life, 1979" was also done by Mr. Paul Bremner of Bremner Fine Art (Toronto, Ontario).

Years before forensics were ever done on “Wheel of Life, 1979” and years before the courts awarded the Morrisseau family control over Norval’s art, Mr. Bremner had certified “Wheel of Life, 1979” as a genuine painting by Norval Morrisseau, based on his decades of experience in handling Canadian fine art.

These four paintings are: 'MedicineBear', 'FamilyofBirds', 'SacredThunderbird' & 'GreatThunderbird'./WWFS File No. 2002; Forensic Report dated August 24th, 2010/*- The NorvalMorrisseau Estate includes members of Norval Morrisseau's biological family (Victoria Kakegamic, Christian Morrisseau, Lisa Morrisseau, Eugene Morrisseau, Pierre Morrisseau, Michael Morrisseau) and former manager, Gabor M. Vadas of Nanaimo, BC.In the interests of full public disclosure ALL paintings mentioned in this report continue to be published on Mr. Ritchie Sinclair's malicious and defamatory website as forgeries.Below Norval Morrisseau sits in front of such a painting claimed as a forgery by Mr. Ritchie Sinclair and his business associates.

* This painting has also be proven to be signed by Norval Morrisseau as per December 19, 2011 Forensic Report by Mr. Kenneth J. Davies of 'Hawkeye Studios (Grapho-Lab® Services)'.

EXTRA NOTE:Mr. Gabor Vadas, since the late 1980s was Norval’s personal and business companion. For years, Mr. Vadas had also worked, hand in hand, with Mr. Ritchie Sinclair and his business associates, to maliciously denounce all the “1970s black dry brush signed Morrisseau paintings” in the secondary market as forgeries.One of the paintings that Gabor Vadas and his wife Michele Vadas had specifically targeted as a forgery, in 2005, was “Wheel of Life, 1979” (forensically certified as authentic by Dr. Atul K. Singla of Worldwide Forensic Services Inc.in 2011.)Another painting Mr. Vadas had denounced as a forgery – in a letter to Heffels Auction House in 2006 (click HERE) - was “Grandfather Speaks of Great Ancestral Warrior, 1977” owned by Mr. Joseph Otavnik and which was the same Jonathan Browne painting forensically proven to be an authentic Morrisseau byMr. Kenneth J. Davies of 'Hawkeye Studios (Grapho-Lab® Services)' in2012.-

In the same letter to Heffels, Mr. Gabor Vadas called two more Mr. Joseph Otavnik paintings - "Untitled, 1969"; set of 2 - forgeries (see above). Mr. Otavnik sued Mr. Gabor Vadas, demanding he produce evidence of them being forgeries.

Rather than face a judge with some kind of proof, the day before the trial, Mr. Gabor Vadas made an agreement to settle with Mr. Joseph Otavnik, offering some eye-popping stipulations. Astonishingly, in a letter dated June 17, 2008, the Vadas lawyers agreed to pay Mr. Joseph Otavnik $11,000 (clearly labeled as “Purchase Funds” not for damages, libel, pay-offs, hush money, or bribes) to acquire the two paintings Vadas had told Heffels were forgeries.Why Mr. Vadas would do this, and opt not to have his day in court and show the judge his proof of forgery while Norval Morrisseau was still alive, boggles the mind? It is important to notethat Mr. Joseph Otavnik requested, via Mr. Gabor Vadas, for Norval Morrisseau to evaluate the paintings in question - requests ignored by Mr Vadas!? And why would he, instead, pay out $11,000 for the paintings, is absolutely perplexing,when, in fact, one Morrisseau expert testified in court that forged Morrisseaus were worth “nothing,” “zero,” “not a cent”?The astonishing mystery only deepens because in the official Settlement Minutes of June 9, 2008, Vadas also demanded that Mr. Joseph Otavnik sign over all copyright ownership for the two paintings to him, as well as promise not to sue if the paintings turn out to be other than forgeries.To download "Untitled, 1969" Forensic Report by Mr. Brian Lindblom (Ottawa, Ontario) dated March 13th, 2007 clickHERE and/or click HEREfor more information about this court case between Mr. Joseph Otavnik and Mr. Gabor Vadas.This pattern of denouncing genuine Norval Morrisseau paintings on the secondary market as forgeries, and his support to Mr. Ritchie Sinclair, was done by Mr. Gabor Vadas to enhance the value of paintings he had for sale and to devalue competing secondary market canvases which Norval Morrisseau had sold in past decades and were now in the hands of his business competitors, some 40 other fine art dealers across Canada (click HERE for list of galleries selling paintings Mr. Gabor Vadas would once consider forgeries).The Mr. Gabor Vadas attack on “Wheel of Life, 1979” was clearly a part of this campaign in 2005.Mr. Vadas persisted with his charges even when Morrisseau family members started issuing Limited Edition prints of paintings he called forgeries.He was onside with those, like Mr. Ritchie Sinclair and his associates, who denounced the Morrisseau family as liars, cheats, and forgers. In front of Judge Martial, both Hatfield witnesses strongly, and without restraint, denounced ALL member of the Morrisseau family as “liars” and “forgers.”In turn, the children of Norval Morrisseau, for years, blamed Mr. Gabor Vadas for deliberately “hiding” Norval Morrisseau himself away from his family, and for hiding away his paintings, and his assets from them and their lawyer.In fact, court testimony, on September 1, 2011, revealed that for some seven years - from 2002, till 2009, after Norval had died - Mr. Gabor Vadas, who had lived with Norval for years on Vancouver Island, hid 384 Morrisseau paintings (labeled KR1 – KR384) with a business associate in Toronto to prevent them from being seized by the Morrisseau family lawyer and Norval’s children who were making trips to Vancouver Island to try to make contact with their invalid father.

“The value of the 384 paintings that were surreptitiously hidden away, thousands of miles from where Norval Morrisseau lived, for some seven years, and only returned, after he died, can be assessed by a conservative estimate to be worth from 15 to 20 million dollars, and maybe as high as 40 million dollars or more.”

The family was moving in the courts to take rightful legal control of their father’s estate and paintings to prevent Mr. Vadas and his dealer(s) from selling them off and keeping the money for themselves.Below, Norval Morrisseau sits in front of another painting claimed as a forgery by Mr. Ritchie Sinclair and his business associates.

Norval Morrisseau with executive OFC director Mr. Paul Nadjiwan at an eagle feather ceremony held on September 24, 1999 at the Ojibwe Cultural Foundation (OCF); M'Chigeeng, Ontario. At this ceremony Norval Morrisseau was accompanied by Mr. Gabor Vadas. Hanging on the wall the genuine Norval Morrisseau painting "Arrangement of Underworld Spirits, 1980". This painting was appraised by Mr. Joseph McLeod of Maslak McLeod Gallery on March 11th, 2008. Mr. McLeod was, at the time of signing, a member of the Art Dealers Association of Canada (click HERE).

/Click on image to Enlarge and/or click HERE to view the signature signed with large letters in black dry brush paint on the canvas VERSO/

* This painting has also be proven to be signed by Norval Morrisseau as per December 19, 2011 Forensic Report by Mr. Kenneth J. Davies of 'Hawkeye Studios (Grapho-Lab® Services)'.

Gabe Vadas proudly posing in front of "Arrangement of Underworld Spirits, 1980"with Norval Morrisseau and Blair Debassige on September 24, 1999 /The Manitoulin Expositor/How utterly telling, that 7 years after calling “Wheel of Life, 1979” and “Grandfather Speaks of Great Ancestral Warrior, 1977” both forgeries, Mr. Gabor Vadas has reversed himself so stunningly.

He has now apparently ceased his malicious and defamatory campaign against “Wheel of Life, 1979” type paintings done by Norval Morrisseau, and come to a business accommodation with the Morrisseau family.The family is now involved in selling limited edition prints of at least four “1970s black dry brush signed Morrisseau paintings”, Gabor and Michele Vadas once joined Mr. Ritchie Sinclair calling forgeries. In fact, these print masters are among the very paintings which were certified as genuine Morrisseaus, by Dr. Singla, on the “Wheel of Life 1979,” forensic report.In January 2012, Mr. Gabor Vadas decided to end his malicious and defamatory accusations against the Morrisseau family, come to a legal accommodation with them, and cease defaming the kinds of Norval Morrisseau paintings they were selling or associated with.

Michael Miller, counsel for Mr. Vadas and the estate, commented that, "The cooperation between the Morrisseau children and Mr. Vadas will help ensure that the integrity of the works of one of Canada's foremost artists is protected and maintained."

Amy Francis, co-counsel for the Morrisseau family, also expressed optimism that, "The Morrisseau children and Gabor Vadas will now be able to move forward together, working to protect and enhance the important cultural legacy left by Norval." -------------------------------

Above all, by making peace with the Morrisseau family, it meant that Gabor and Michele Vadas, who were two important Hatfield allies claiming “Wheel of Life 1979” was forgery in 2005, have left her hung out to dry in 2012.Now abandoned by the Vadas clan, opposed by damning court testimony from a variety of reputable business people and witnesses, and facing incontrovertible forensic proof by Dr. Singla and Mr. Davies, reduces Ms. Hatfield’s sole supporters to those making malicious, defamatory, and clearly fallacious, testimony: the notorious Mr. Ritchie Sinclair, and his business associates, people she had met while randomly surfing the internet.Her internet friends that she trusted keep assuring her that her painting is worthless.She is back to the very people who planted the demon seed in her trusting mind in the first place. But this retired school teacher and amateur art collector is their victim as well. She is now many thousands in legal fees poorer in her bank account for her retirement.Lessons learned...

CLOSING STATEMENT:“This report was prepared from the testimony of court witnesses and lawyers, court transcripts, and the reports from two investigative journalists, who were the only members in the public gallery to have heard and witnessed the entire trial from start to finish.”

"ALL THE INFORMATION PRESENTED ON THIS PLATFORM FROM ITS INCEPTION IS BASED ON DATA COLLECTED FROM THE PUBLIC DOMAIN AND OTHER VERIFIABLE SOURCES."

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